Falling in More Ways than One
by Ready To Flyxxx
Summary: AU. Oneshot. There's this girl...and she's always sleeping. Drew doesn't understand why, but he can't get her out of his head.


**Notes: I live in procrastination-nation because of this. I'm taking a break from both my homework, and the multi-chapter story I've been trying to write...sigh.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon, but that's kind of obvious by now.**

 **Extra: I love embarrassing Drew, who may seem a bit OOC, but it is for the humor, darn it!**

* * *

Falling in More Ways than One

The sun hangs high in the sky in a way that makes Drew's eyes sting, and his uniformed shirt stick to his back with sweat. It's fall, but it's the beginning of the cursed season when it's heavy coat weather in the morning, and heat stroke weather in the afternoon. He doesn't care what the girls in his class say about the trees looking pretty, this season is torture.

He looks over to his right where his kind-of-friend-kind-of-acquaintance is sitting. Drew uses this term mainly because Gary Oak doesn't consider anyone his friend, and he's kind of just someone Drew likes doing stupid stuff with, like what they're doing now: skipping math to watch the girl's PE class.

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Drew deadpans, thinking about how great it would feel inside an air-conditioned room.

Gary rolls his eyes. He tears his gaze away from the field (or rather Leaf, who was the whole reason Gary was possessed to do this) and gives Drew a hard stare. "Dude, this is prime-time entertainment. How can you not appreciate the beauty of it all?"

"Maybe because we're sitting outside in the blazing heat on uncomfortable metal bleachers, and I've stuck my hand in gum about fifty times!"

"Quit being such a pansy! Uh oh-" Gary cuts off whatever retort was hanging on the tip of Drew's tongue by punching his arm, "-look!" Drew glares, but doesn't have time to protest because the principal has just walked out towards the field, and if he saw them, they'd be screwed; so they do what any normal person would do in that situation: they book it. Gary dives off the side of the bleachers like some kind of ninja, and hits the ground running despite the uncomfortable sound his foot makes as he does so. Drew on the other hand, chooses to go the opposite way, because Gary may be top of the class, but he's not smart enough to realize that their next class is the other way.

Even though Drew feels like he's melting, and he kind of hurt his own foot on the way down, he finds himself running. The air feels a bit cool against his skin (this totally better not mess up his hair) and as he passes a large willow tree he catches a glimpse of a girl. She's sleeping against its broad trunk, sunlight seeping into her golden-brown tresses, and for a moment Drew forgets how to breathe. But of course, that could just be the fact that he tripped over a root, and landed face first onto the ground.

He can't get the image of her out of his head for the rest of the day.

* * *

Soliad grins at him, but not a friendly grin that suggests sunlight, and good times, no...that's never the case with Solidad. Instead, she offers him an evil Cheshire grin stretching along the entire length of her features that just screams: _I know something about you that I'm never going to let you live down._

Drew groans.

"What?" he asks her, sounding all in all exasperated, and all in all like a little kid. Solidad just continues on with her little game, choosing to smile even wider as she sashays around the library putting books away. Her pink hair swishes around her back as she walks, and Drew kind of wishes he could chop it all off, because when did his sister get so pretty, and so graceful, and if she doesn't stop that then all the guys will be after her, and that's really not okay. She's not actually his sister, but he's known her long enough that he kind of considers her the older one he never had. Solidad sure acts like it too, offering him advice like a mentor, scolding him whenever he does stupid things, and whatever she's doing now - teasing him as if she knows something about him that he wouldn't want anyone else to know.

"Nothing," Solidad finally answers him, twirling around and shoving a few books in his hands. Drew glares petulantly, and begins to put them away. Why did he choose to volunteer at a library again? Oh yeah, It was because Solidad works there, and he needs community service hours anyway. Besides, the coffee shop was no longer hiring since Gary snagged the last spot.

"If it's nothing then stop smirking at me!" he yells out, resulting in a mass amount of shushes from every corner of the library.

"What ever do you mean?" She's playing innocent. Drew hates it when she plays innocent.

"You know perfectly well what I mean!" This time, he speaks through clenched teeth so he doesn't wake the dead; and by that he means the librarian who is so old he's surprised she's not part zombie.

"You look hilarious when you get all worked up," she tells him, laughing as his scowl sets deeper into his face. "Fine fine, I'll stop playing ignorant, but you got to start owning up"

Drew groans. Really, he gives out a long groan of annoyance, because what in the world is she possibly talking about!? He slams his head on one of the book shelves. "Sol, what are you saying?" If she were anyone else, Drew would probably be able to act suave, and smooth like he normally does, achieving information by a string of well-constructed words, and a flip of his hair, but It's Sol...she's, like, the devil or something; he can't beat her.

"Who is she?" Soliad asks in the most teasing voice imaginable, and Drew wants to crawl in a hole or something, because how in the world could she figure him out so well?

He could have been suave, and smooth, and have some great excuse for why there totally wasn't a girl who he didn't know plaguing his thoughts, but all he could choke out was a simple: "What girl!?" If she heard the panic in his voice, she didn't mention it.

"Drew, come on. You've been acting out of it for days now. There has to be a girl involved!" She stares him down. "So who is she?"

Drew ponders how many times he would have to knock his head against the bookshelf before he could pass out. Maybe then he could avoid this conversation.

* * *

The second time Drew sees this mystery girl is when he actually bothers going to math class for a change. He chooses a seat in the back, because maybe his professor won't notice if he gets some shut-eye instead of listening how to solve a math problem that can be done on a calculator anyway. It's about ten minutes into the lesson, and he's already nodding off, when something catches the corner of his eye. Ever so slightly he turns his head, and sitting in the seat right next to him is her.

No freaking way.

As fate would have it, she's sleeping still, her face buried into the sleeve of her cream colored sweater, and strands of brown hair falling haphazardly all around her desk. Drew can hear her snoring lightly, which is kind of adorable. He's stuck in some kind of trance when she slowly brings her head up from out of her sleeve, her eyes still closed shut, and a thing of drool sticking to the side of her face. Her hair is everywhere again, catching in the light from the window, and her heavy looking eyelids slowly begin to open, and...and…

She has the bluest pair of eyes he has ever seen.

They're still hazy, and a bit unfocused which causes her to rub them with her sleeve. Afterwards, she gives out a cat-like yawn, and _oh no, oh no, oh no_ Drew could actually be falling for her. Before he can do much else about it, the girl slams her head back onto the desk.

Drew twitches.

The professor calls his name to answer a question, and all Drew can do is sit with his mouth agape.

* * *

He corners a kid in the grade below him named Ash, who knows absolutely everyone in this whole entire school. The kid is busy hiding behind a bush holding what appears to be a slingshot. Drew doesn't question it, because if he does he knows he'll end up regretting it. Instead, Drew places a hand on Ash's shoulder, and covers the kid's mouth before he can scream. The sound is muffled underneath his palm.

"Shut up!" Drew seethes, inwardly groaning at this kid's weirdness. "I need your help."

Ash's light brown eyes focus in on Drew's face, before a wide smile envelopes his features. "Drew!" he exclaims exuberantly, right into his ear (what-the-heck does this kid dump sugar on his cereal or something!?). Drew cringes.

"That's my name," he says flatly.

"What's up?" Ash plops his butt right onto the grass, and pats the ground next to him. Sighing, Drew follows suit.

"I need to know the name of someone," Drew says, rubbing the back of his neck. "Think you could help me out?"

"Sure! But, who?"

"Well, that's the thing...I don't know anything about her."

Ash blinks, and in a suddenly serious voice asks "Are you trying to stalk someone?"

Drew figures the world must hate him.

Groaning, Drew slaps his forehead, because honestly what did he do to deserve this? "NO! I am not trying to stalk someone, geez, why would I even...you know what forget it. Just FORGET IT!" Drew begins to stand up, but Ash seizes his arm crazy fast, and holy-cow Ash is really strong for someone who gets beat up on a daily basis.

"No wait, don't go!" he whines, literally whines and whoever has to put up with him must be a saint. "I can help you!"

"Jesus...fine, just let go of my arm!"

Ash does, thankfully. "Okay, Drew! So you need to know a name of some girl who you're crushing on, right?"

Drew feels his ears go red. "I never said I was crushing on her!" He pushes his hair out of his face, and curses the world. "I'm just curious is all!"

"What does she look like?"

"Brown hair, blue eyes, pale-ish skin...sleeps a lot." Drew scratches his cheek. "Do you know her?"

Ash seems to go into thought mode which involves his face scrunching up to a point where he looks almost pained. Drew is about to ask him if he's okay, when Ash suddenly lights up with a huge grin on his face and success written onto his features, and Drew is actually starting to feel like the world is a beautiful place before Ash says: "I don't know her."

Drew's whole existence explodes.

"What!?" he cries out, and grabs onto Ash's shoulders so his own body doesn't ascend into the astro-plane. "What do you mean!? You looked like you had something there!"

Ash smiles nervously. "Well yeah, I mean...I know her, but I don't _know her_ know her."

Drew twitches. "You. Make. No. Sense."

Ash sighs like Drew is the crazy one. "I don't know her personally," he explains, "I'm in the same boat as you here, but…"

"But?"

"I _might_ know her name."

" _Might!?_ "

"Well, I used to know it, but I forgot."

"How the heck," Drew says through gritted teeth, "do you forget someone's name like that!?"

Ash throws his hands up defensively. "It's not my fault!"

It was his fault. It was totally his fault! Drew sighs, and then groans, and then falls back against the ground in defeat. Maybe he should just wait until next math class to get her name. It would be easier, right?

"Oh! I think I remember something," Ash says so suddenly Drew almost has a heart attack.

"What!?"

"She has the same name as a month."

After that information is given, Ash slaps Drew on the back wholeheartedly, before going back to his original position, slingshot in all. Drew can only stare as the kid pulls the rubber band back and nails some ginger girl's head.

* * *

Drew lays in bed that night going through all twelve months feeling aggravated, and annoyed, and wondering where her name lies between the passing days scattered along the page, and thinking that maybe he should just give up, because how-the-heck do you fall for a girl you don't even know?

* * *

Drew walks to school the next morning with the bottom half of his face buried deep into his coat collar. It's freezing, and like he's said before, this weather is torture! The wind is blowing hard enough to carry six-year-olds off, and if the leaves haven't fallen off of the trees yet, they will be doing so now.

Because he's been gracious enough to show up early to this prison, Drew figures that he's earned himself a treat. He makes his way to the side of the school where the vending machines lie, and casually begins to reach in his pocket for his change.

And somehow, the world decides to be nice to him for once.

There's a girl there, her brown hair kept back from her face with a red bandana, wearing a yellow colored sweater that seems to swallow her frame, and looking all around peeved. Her face scrunches up in annoyance, and Drew observes with a smirk that the bill she has been desperately trying to fit into the machine is not working.

"Come on!" she wails, animatedly attempting to flatten out her money against the side of the machine. "I just want my snack!" Drew stands a good distance behind her, hands in his pockets, and a chuckle in his throat. "Foul beast of a machine, I shall vanquish you!"

"Do you need some help?" he asks, making his presence known. The girl - who for once isn't sleeping - twirls around to face him, her eyes wide, and her cheeks flaming. She looks as if he had just caught her doing something equivalent to murder. He raises his eyebrows at her.

The girl splutters a bit, before standing up to her full height (which isn't all that tall). "No! I got it, thanks. But...uh, maybe you should go ahead of me while I...er...count my money?"

Drew chuckles. Her excuse was less than impressive. "Whatever you say." He strides over to the machine in two easy steps, his change jingling merrily in his pockets as he does so. He observes the number she was trying to type into the machine - 2B - and places his money in. After typing out the code, and waiting smugly, he hears the satisfying sound of the item hitting the bottom. Drew fishes it out with ease, and offers her a smile. "Here you go." He then proceeds to hand her the cookie.

The girl blinks. "What is this for?" Her small hands carefully take the snack, holding it against her chest gingerly.

"You were having trouble, so I'd thought I'd help. Consider it a gift." Drew flips his hair, and inwardly cheers as he manages to do it smoothly.

"Thank you so much! But, I shouldn't accept this, I mean I don't even know you!" She rubs the side of her arm awkwardly.

"It's fine, no big deal." He shrugs, and tries not to notice the surge of butterflies that erupted in his stomach. Clearing his throat, Drew racks his brain for possible conversation, because he's finally talking to this girl, and he's been dreaming about this moment for weeks, and gosh-dang-it! Why can't he think of something to say? "You know," he blurts out suddenly, which is so not cool, but it's not like he can control it at this point, "you look different when you aren't asleep."

She blinks.

He blinks.

A minute passes in silence.

Off in the distance crickets buzz, and records suddenly stop, and cries from Ash can be heard as he gets another swirly.

and…

and...

-and there's no-freaking-way he just said that outloud! Ash was right, he does sound like a total stalker!

"I mean," he tries (and probably fails) to cover up his mistake, "I always see you dozing off. Like in math class you were asleep during one of the lessons and-"

"Oh my gosh!" she cuts him off, "you saw that!?" Her face goes through about a million different shades of red, the flush creeping down from her cheeks to her neck, and disappearing through her shirt. "I can't believe I keep doing that! I've just been so sleepy these past few months, and every time I try to stay awake I end up falling asleep, and, ugh...I'm so lame." She hangs her head, and Drew can't believe he is in the presence of such a beautiful person.

Drew laughs then, no really, he genuinely laughs, and it's like the cold air has turned into some kind of gentle warmth, that's not too hot, and not too cold, and again, he can't believe he's in the presence of such an amazingly beautiful person. "You are something else, huh?"

She puffs out her cheeks. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Drew chuckles. "It's nothing. Hey...um, would you like to get some coffee later?" he asks her, and then, bashfully adds, "If you want to that is. I mean, it will help you stay awake."

The girl seems to think about it, her blue eyes sizing him up and down, before a sunny smile erupts over her face. "Yeah, I'd like that...um…" she trails off.

"Drew," he answers, "Drew Hayden."

"Well Drew, I would love to get coffee with you."

Inwardly, Drew screams out in joy because he actually did it! That ought to show Gary, and Solidad that he can get a girl! But on the outside, Drew chooses to be smooth and suave, and totally cool. "Awesome, it's a date then, August."

"..."

"Um…"

"Did you just call me August?"

Or maybe he wasn't so smooth and suave. But give him a break, he had a one in twelve chance of getting it right!

"December?" She glares. "March?" Did she just crack her knuckles!? "...June?"

Drew finds himself sprawled on the ground with stars all around him, a crumbled up cookie somewhere up his nose, and a stinging in his shin. He groans. The last thing he remembers is is her indignant cries of how she hopes his hair grows weeds, and he falls asleep on a train track.

May...It was May.

"So that's a no to coffee?" he calls after her retreating form.

He takes her frustrated scream as a yes.


End file.
